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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29272527">Ancestral Rivalry</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Disturbo/pseuds/Disturbo'>Disturbo</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Mirage of Tales reveal stories [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Pokemon, Short Story, fangame</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 03:34:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>568</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29272527</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Disturbo/pseuds/Disturbo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>An ancient struggle between the Heat and the nest. A shared mind against the fire.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Durant/Heatmor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Mirage of Tales reveal stories [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2138445</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. One Mind</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>We bite away at the rock. One bite after the other. Rock fragments are carried away. And then we bite again. </p>
<p>We build tunnels. Long, tight tunnels. We must build them for the others.</p>
<p>The rock gets hotter by the moment, we are closer. This time, it will be different.</p>
<p>Our teeth clash with the stone. Sometimes a spark comes off. Its brightness lights up our bodies.</p>
<p><br/>
</p>
<p>With each strike against the rock, we get closer to the source. To the Heat.</p>
<p>A simple signal from deep within. We halt.</p>
<p>Slowly, we make our way back. Back to our origin. Back to unite. Back to remember.</p>
<p><br/>
</p>
<p>Honors. To those lost to the Heat. Respect. To those who stand against the predator.</p>
<p>The nest unites. We are ready for the assault. One of many.</p>
<p>Strength creates us. Unity defines us. The nest is our purpose.</p>
<p><br/>
</p>
<p>Our screech is heard through the tunnels. No sacrifice is in vain. The nest will prevail.</p>
<p>The bites finally break us out from the underground.</p>
<p>In front of us stands the beast. The Heat.</p>
<p>We fight. </p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
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<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Fire and Steel</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The armored ants stampeded out of the hole in the ground, loud as thunder. The Heat was right in front of them, standing in all its might, but caught by surprise by the nest. The beast was surrounded, every bit of the rocky ground now covered by shining steel.</p>
<p>The Heat let out a furious screech. The ants stop all movement, and silence becomes deafening, only interrupted by a fragment of rock breaking off the wall. Not a moment later, the beast screeched again and the battle began.</p>
<p>Without delay, ants jumped into the beast, clinging to its back and front. Taking a deep breath, the Heat exhaled a blazing fire that staggered the ants who dropped into the ground. The fire didn’t stop though, and the beast proceeded to burn a dozen ants in mere seconds.</p>
<p>“Hold! We must hold.”<br/>
“Hold for the others. Hold for the nest.”<br/>
“The ones lost to the fire. The ones lost to the Heat.”<br/>
“They will be honored. We will prevail.”</p>
<p>As the beast’s fire kept raging, more ants kept coming out of the whole in the cave. The Iron Hollow, now turned into a battlefield, was seeing a conflict that went all the way back to the days of old. Ancient. Ancestral. </p>
<p>No matter what the metallic bodies did the Heat stood strong, breathing fire upon the ants. The sight was not pretty. What was once a menacing crowd that surrounded the beast was now a pile of defeated but proud ants.</p>
<p>“No… We… We must…”<br/>
“The unity… the nest…”<br/>
“... Another failed assault.”</p>
<p>The last of the nest made a valiant stand against the beast even though they knew they were doomed. Even if the nest did not survive this encounter, it would prevail in their simple minds. No predator nor fire would make that change.</p>
<p>“We are the nest.”<br/>
“And like us, there are more.”</p>
<p>This would not be the end of the nest though. A screech was heard from within the cavern, drawing the attention of the beast away from the steel beings. The few ants that were still standing took the chance and scattered all at the same time, scurrying back into the hole they themselves carved. As the screeches grew closer and closer, the ground began to tremble. </p>
<p>The Heat had bigger problems than the nest.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
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